I was away in Whistler BC for the last few days with my friend Steve doing some mountain biking before the weather turns cold. We stayed pretty close to the village but found some great single-track trails with a nice variety of terrain to get a great workout in and have a lot of fun riding.

I captured a few moments with my Samsung Gear 360 Video Camera to share my mountain biking experience with everyone. I did bail once pretty good but fortunately I was not wearing my Samsung Gear 360 at the time or it could have been damaged pretty good!

Here are some links to the rides we went on:

• http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/2457324428
• http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/2457437315
• http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/2459872256
• http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/2459973215

Gear used to make this video:

• Samsung Gear 360 Video Camera.
• Gear 360 Video Stitching Software for Import from camera.
• ScreenFlow for Mac Video Editing Software for editing video.
• Spatial Media Metadata Injector to add 360 video metadata.

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Type: Nerf Gun.
Manufacturer: Nerf Hasbro
Model: Rival Zeus MXV-1200.
Materials: Mostly plastic build.
Weight: About 3 pounds with batteries installed.
Ages: 14+ (My son is 10 and he is more than OK with this gun!)
Propulsion: Electric flywheel 6x C batteries.
Action: Semi auto.
Ammunition Type: Nerf High-impact round balls.
Ammunition Capacity: 12 round tube magazine.
Max FPS: 100.

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Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a little long and requires a firm trigger finger but it is not overly heavy. When you press the trigger it allows a Nerf High-impact round ball to advance into the motorized spinning flywheel area where the ball is accelerated and shot out of the inline barrel .

Accuracy: Keep in mind the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is designed as a fun in home battle gun so long range accuracy is not really that important. At up to 30 feet or so you shoudl have no problem hitting a person sized target. The Nerf High-impact round balls do come out the the barrel with a fair amount of spin so some random hooking can happen, usually the spin is more of a backspin that helps keep the ammo targeting in a more linear trajectory.

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Build Quality: The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 like most Nerf guns is built to take a fair bit of a beating since the target audience has mainly been kids and we know they are rarely careful with anything ;) The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is mainly plastic but as I mentioned it is high quality and so far has held up well to usage. Fit is good with all interchangeable parts working well and the finish has stayed pretty much pristine!

Realism: Nerf guns are not made to be too realistic since they are meant to be toys and not look too closely like a real gun, hence the brightly colored plastic and more futuristic design. I do like the addition of Picatinny styled rails in several locations where one can add accessories like magazine clips, red dots or even a tactical light or laser sight.

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Pros:

• Not as extreme as a Paintball gun but a little more intense than a standard Nerf gun.

• Good build quality overall.

• Easy to quickly swap out a fresh 12 rode tube magazine.

• Flip up sights

• Picatinny raise for adding accessories.

• Decent power and accuracy for a Nerf style gun.

• Semit auto action for fast follow up shots.

Cons:

• Will use up batteries pretty quickly.

• Flywheel will slow down when shooting close together semi auto shots.

• Loading magazines does take some getting use to.

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Comments:
The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a great option for pretty much anyone looking for a fun battle gun you can use indoors in your home with no worries about breaking windows or messing up your house. not to mention leaving west all over your body! The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is going to be a bit more extreme than a standard Nerf gun for sure but way more toned down compares to a paintball gun or even an airsoft gun so if you want some good old rainy day indoor fun then checkout the Nerf Rival line of Nerf guns.

My Vimeo Table Top Full  Review for the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200:

Power:
Generally speaking a longer barrel is going to allow for more power. If you compare most CO2 pellet pistols to CO2 Pellet Rifles, you will find that the CO2 Pellet Pistol will generally shoot about 300-400 fps using a standard lead Pellet. On the other hand many CO2 Pellet Rifles can get up to as high as 600 fps which is much better speed for humanly shooting some smaller pests.

If you are talking about Springer or Variable Pump Air Pistols versus their Air Rifle counterparts, again the Air rifles will generally shoot with much more power. I have seen some none CO2 Air Pistols shoot up into the 500-600 fps range but again compered to none CO2 Air Rifles, they can even double these numbers.

Some of you may ask about Steel BB Pistols and Rifles. I personally would never really sue this type of ammunition for pest control simply because most BB Rifles have much less raw power than Pellet Rifles and steel BB’s will not be as accurate at any type of longer distance.

Stability:
When holding any rifle from the shoulder, you have three point of contact with your body spread out in a much longer distance than a two handed pistol grip. Holding steady even without a rested position is much easier using a rifle. Even when using a rested position, the rifle will more stable.

Accuracy:
A big factor in accuracy is stability but there are also other factors to consider. Barrel length its self does not make the gun more accurate, you only need a few inches of barrel length to get constant accurate results from a gun. What makes longer barreled guns more accurate is the distance between the rear and front sight. The closer the sights are together, the more margin for error there is, the longer you spread out the sights from each other, the more accurate the sighting system becomes.

Overall More Humain:
When you consider Air Rifles tend to have higher power, better accuracy and overall more consistency than shorter barreled Air Pistols. The logical choice for humanly shooting a Pest is to use the Air Rifle. The last thing you want to do is make any animal suffer, even if it has been causing a lot of havoc around your home or farm or place of business.

Make sure to watch my Table Top Review for all the Features and Specifications for the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit.

In this Field Test Shooting Video Review I compare using a standard 12 gram CO2 versus my ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit with HPA (High Pressure Air).

To make this as comparable a test as possible I used two KWC/Gletcher Makarov Full Blowback Pistols each with their own separate magazine, again one with a 12 gram  CO2 and one using the ANT system.

HPA or High Presure Air is not effected by cold weather which makes this setup ideal for shooting in cold situations since fps is not effected at all. As CO2 requires heat to expand, the colder the outside temperature the less amount of expansion you get from the CO2 whihc results in less power, this is really noticeable on your follow-up magazines as the CO2, magazine and even the gun will have started to cool down from the CO2 exposure.

The ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit even when using large 20 ounce CO2 tanks will help with the cool down effect since the large CO2 tanks will take much longer to cool down and even freeze up as compared to the smaller 12 gram CO2 which can get frosty even after the first magazine.

I did notice in this Field Test Shooting Review that the CO2 did pretty good as it was my first magazine and the temperature was not all that cold out. I can say the HPA System was shooting much harder, after making this video I popped off another couple magazine with each gun shooting out to at least 100 feet and the ANT FIRE HPA setup was really throwing the 4.5mm Steel BB's out there quickly. As expected the 12 gram CO2 mags really started to trail off especially on the third magazine of shots.

All in all, the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit will not only bring your cost per shot down significantly but it allows you to keep shooting with no down time waiting for your gun to warm back up and the ability to use HPA (High Pressure Air) means you will get even more fps performance out of your air guns but also much more consistent shot performance all day long!

I reviewed the Original ANT (Advanced Novelty Tech) CO2 HPA Conversion Kit last year and did both a Table Top Review and Field Test Shooting Review, so make sure to check out my video reviews for the Original ANT Advanced Novelty Tech CO2 HPA Conversion Kit.

Well ANT (Advanced Novelty Tech) made an update model that supports a bunch more guns, that's a good thing of course. This new model is called the "FIRE" and it supports the following guns. I did find however that ANT list that the Gletcher NGT and Webley Mark VI Revolvers where supported by the FIRE but my findings indicated the CO2 screw on both these guns had a smaller diameter so they where not compatible. Other than that small discrepancy most of the other guns on their list should work just fine.

What exactly is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit?

The Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2/HPA Conversion Kit is a remote line adapter for Airsoft, BB, and pellet guns. Compatible with over 60 guns, it is easy to install and converts a compatible gun for use with a Paintball remote line and CO2 or HPA tank. Eliminating the need for disposable CO2 cartridges, while still being interchangeable with disposable CO2 cartridges, it delivers a longer, more powerful, and more consistent shooting experience between refills.

So what is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit going to do for you?

• Eliminate the need for the more expensive disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.

• Use interchangeably with disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.

• Use in conjunction with a Paintball remote line with standard quick disconnect fittings and a CO2 or HPA tank. (recommended use up to 1000 psi)

• Shoot thousands of rounds before needing to refill your CO2.

• Fits compatible Airsoft, BB, and pellet gun CO2 pistols.

• Easy drop-in installation.

• Overall cost savings.

• More consistent FPS especially when shooting fast or in full auto.

• Longer play time :)

I will be doing a Field Test Shooting Review for the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit but based on my experience with the Original ANT CO2 HPA Conversion Kit I expect it to work as advertised.

As most my Vimeo Subscribers and Viewers will already know, I have been struggling with my Chrony Shooting Chronograph for a while now. I know some of it is to do with the bad lighting under my deck but over time my Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph has become less and less reliable to the point now that I simply don't get any usable feedback from it. If I'm lucky on a good day I might get one FPS reading out of ten shots which is nothing I can use.

So recently I went out and purchased a new Chrony Shooting Chronograph, I actually upgraded a little bit and got the higher end Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph version which has more options than my older F-1 Chrony like:

• Selector switch to change from FPS (feet per second) to MPS (meter per second).

• Delivers Measurements and Statistics such as - High, Low and Average Velocities, Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation.

• Retrieve individual Shot Velocities and Statistics.

• Has temporary working memory.

• Has 60 shot permanent memory (divided into 6 numbered strings of up to 10 shots each, with one set of Statistics for each string).

• Delete individual shots (with automatic adjustment of Statistics).

• Delete the content of a whole string or all data from memory.

• Can be switched off, taken home & switched on again for reviewing and information retrieval.

• Memory will stay even without battery.

• Moves instantly from string to string, interrupts shooting on any string without memory loss, returns to any string to continue where you left off.

• Change string size.

• Stereo Jack for optional Printer or Remote Control.

• Forget Button - To clear individual strings instantly.

• Upgrade to 1000 shot memory.

• Upgrade to Gamma or Gamma Master Chrony.

Probably a lot more features than I actually need or will even use but the price for the Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph over the Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph I have been using was only about $30 more so I figured why not go for it.

In this review video I mainly show you around my new Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and don't really talk too much about features since it is all new to me and I have not played around with my new Beta Chrony much so far.

I do plan to do some Field Testing with my the Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and shoot some of the Airguns that I was not overly successful getting readings for like my new Sig Sauer Pellet Pistols and Sig Sauer MPX Rifle along with my ISSC M22 BB CO2 Pistol. So stay tuned for that upcoming Field Test video.

I try and make it to my local gun show which is held in Chilliwack BC about this time each year. It is put on by the Historical Arms Collectors Society of BC and there are generally a lot of used long guns (rifles) some pistols, lots of accessories, knives, hunting gear, knick·knacks and even some antique items. I tend to be looking for airguns or blank guns that are rare or a good deal.

This year I came across a few items that caught my eye. The first item was a Daisy replica 4.5mm BB pistol, I am not a big fan of Daisy replica gun in general as they are usually a far cry from the originals but this Daisy Powerline Model 400 was actually a really good copy of a Desert Eagle in size and looks. Sure it had a lot of plastic in it but it was made in Japan and even being around 20 years olds was holding up really well. This Daisy Powerline 400 even had Blowback which back then was not all that common.

The Daisy Powerline 400 BB Desert Eagle has a 20 round removable magazine that fits along the top of the barrel and it has a claimed fps. It is almost all high grade plastic with the exception of the single action only trigger, safety, hammer, barrel and several internal parts.

The next interesting item I found was a little compact 8mm blank shooter originally made in West Germany. So this blank gun is close to 30 years old. The SM Model 110 8mm Blank Pistol kind of reminds me of my EKOL Tuna in terms of size and functionality since both have the same half slide and magazine release system.

The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is front venting and pretty much all metal with reinforced steel areas, it has a 5 round single stack magazine and shoots in single action only.

My last purchase for this show was a new item, here in Canada we generally are not allowed much in the way of items specifically labeled for self defense. There are some work arounds for instance we can carry a knife as long as it is not concealed entirely and we only intend to use it as a tool. We can also carry pepper spray again only for use on animals. Generally speaking we have not been allowed stun guns or tasers here in Canada and even importing them can land you in a lot of trouble! Again it seems a work around has been made, as long as the Stun Gun or Taser is at least 480mm in length then it is not considered a concealable weapon and as long as you have it out on display and only intend to use it on animals that may be a threat to you then all is good :)

The Stun Gun I purchased is basically a baton with a flashlight on the front and a 1 million volt taser on the front of it. You have several options with this device if harm is eminent. You can try blinding the threat with the built in flashlight which is not all that powerful but good for finding your way in dark areas, you can give the attacker a whack with the baton baseball bat style and if none of that is working well let em have the 1 million volt sandwich! We should be getting some of these Stun Baton Flashlights in our Canada Replica Airguns Store at some point so stay posted for that item.

I am showcasing here on the Replica Airguns website and over on the Replica Airguns YouTube channel a series of videos I will be making for the purpose of selling some guns out of my personal collection. I simply have no more room for the new guns and in some cases I either have duplicate guns or very similar versions so there is no need to have both. Some guns I am less attached to and as I already stated I need to make room for some of the new stuff I will be reviewing and or buying for myself.

In this second Mike's Personal Guns For Sale video I am offering three rifles, two of which will require a Canada PAL Firearms License since one is a 22LR rimfire rifle and the other is a high powered .22 caliber break barrel pellet rifle. The last item up for bid is an AK-47 styled .68 caliber paintball rifle.

Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see these three rifles I am selling and instructions on how you can take part in the sale and purchase of them. By the way I am only selling to Canadian residents since shipping cross borders is a little sketchy.

Here is a list of the these three rifles I am selling from my personal gun collection:

ISSC MK22 22LR (FN SCAR) Rifle - $625 PAL Required

Benjamin Sheridan Super Streak .22 Caliber Break Barrel Rifle $250 PAL Required

Tacamo T68 AK-47 .68 Cal. Paintball Rifle $275

In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Chip Hunnucutt from Crosman Corporation. Chip was eager to show off Crosman's new Airbow which is a essentially a hybrid PCP Air Rifles combined with a Crossbow. SO take away the bow and replace the power source with a 3000 PSI compressed air system that is capable of shooting standard archery arrows at 450 fps with 160 foot pounds of energy using 375 grain arrows.

The Crosman Airbow on a full 3000 PSI charge can deliver 8 consecutive shots @ the regulated 450 fps. The Airbow also weighs in at 7 pounds and being that it is a Bullpup design it is only 33.5 inches long so nice and compact for an arrow shooter.

Since the power is generated by the PCP compressed air system there is no heavy cocking rope so a simple lift of the ambidextrous cocking bolt is all that is needed to charge the Crosman Airbow. The Airbow also comes standard with a CenterPoint® 6x40 mm scope specially designed with the Airbow in mind.

Since the Crosman Airbow is technically an under 500 fps airgun, it should be considered an uncontrolled firearm here in Canada which means no PAL license will be required to buy and own the Crosman Airbow in Canada. In terms of using the Airbow for hunting as it is not a bow but rather an Airgun, that is yet to be determined here in Canada.

When I say Airguns, I am referring to pretty much all BB, Airsoft, Pellet, Paintball and even Blank guns for most of the topics listed here.

Do’s:

1. Treat your Airgun just like you would a real gun. If something goes wrong, perhaps the outcome will not be as severe but do you really want to take a trip down to your local emergency ward to get a BB or Pellet removed?

2. Always assume your airgun is loaded, for some reason it always seems those empty guns are the ones that do the most damage.

3. Be discrete, If it looks like a gun other people will think it is a gun so don’t flash your airguns around in public. Keep it in a case when transporting and shoot it in an area that will not alarm other people.

4. Always wear eye protection when shooting your Airgun. Do you really want to shoot your eye out? No Joke!

5. Be aware of your surroundings like windows, hard objects that could make your ammo bounce back at you. Make sure you are shooting your Airgun in a safe direction at all times, know your target and beyond.

6. Use Airguns to teach others and learn how to safely and effectively shoot a gun. Airguns can be less intimidating then a real gun (Not so loud and very little recoil) and make for great start out and transitions guns.

7. Use Airguns to get more inexpensive trigger time and become a more experienced shooter. Airguns cosy only pennies per round to shoot and can be shot in way more areas than a real gun can, practice makes perfect so get shooting!

8. Use Airguns in areas where real guns may not be allowed or safe to use. Again, Airguns can be shot in all kinds of places, in your back yard or even in a properly setup indoor home range.

9. Use Airguns with adequate power for safe and humane pest control where real guns may be prohibited.Airguns are quiet and less likely for the bullet to travel long ranges which makes them ideal for close range pest control in areas where real guns are too loud and to powerful.

Don’ts:

1. Do not assume because it is an airgun it is not dangerous or simply a toy. Many Deaths have been caused by Airguns along with a lot of pain and suffering so treat your Airgun with respect. It is not a toy or you would find them in the toy department at your local store along with yo-yos and stuffed animals.

2. Do not point or shoot at people unless of course you are using an Airsoft gun in an Airsoft field or facility. Yes Airsoft guns are meant to shoot at each other (with appropriate attire like eye protection and full body clothing), but steel BB and Pellet can cause serious injury especially at close range and on direct skin contact.

3. Do not leave your Airgun loaded, you never know who is going to come across it and accidentally discharge it. Remember, a loaded gun is a dangerous gun in the wrong hands. You may know better than to assume the gun is undulated but children and even adults without any gun training will most definitely handle the airgun without consideration of the danger it poses.

4. Do not use an Airgun for self protection. See my related video. Simply put, Airguns are not practical for self defense because they rarely have enough Stopping Power. The ones that do have enough power need to be pre-charged and in most cases are only single shot meaning if you miss or don’t get the job done no the first shot then you are done.

5. Do not use an underpowered Airgun for pest control. See related video. Using a low powered BB pistol for pest control is cruel, you will only injure the animal making it suffer unnecessarily. Use a high powered pellet rifle to get the job done.

6. Do not take your gun apart, in most cases this will void the warranty and the reality is that airguns rarely need to be cleaned since no dirty gun powder is used. lead pellet rifles may require occasional barrel cleaning to keep the rifled barrel free of debris.

7. Do not over oil your Airgun, a little goes a long way and too much oil will just attracted dirt, use the right airgun oil and just enough to keep part functioning smoothly.

8. Do not over pump an Airgun. Over pumping an Airgun can cause damage to valves and seals and in a worse case situation a rupture the air pressure reservoir or even cause the airgun to explode!

I'm getting close to uploading 600 videos now over on the Replica Airguns Vimeo channel, so there are bound to be a lot of similar questions and popular discussions. In this Replica Airguns Vimeo Video I address what I feel are my Top 10 Most Common Airgun Questions and Discussions.

1. Can I shoot my CO2 gun without CO2? (1:00)

2. Can I refill CO2 Cartridges? (2:08)

3. Will XYZ BB gun kill a bird, rat, rabbit, gopher…? (3:33)

4. Can I shoot Airsoft BB’s in my BB gun? (5:58)

5. Can I use my Airgun for self defense? (7:47)

6. Do Airguns & blank guns have recoil? (10:42)

7. Why play around with Airguns, just buy a real gun?(12:50)

8. Can I have a free gun? (17:15)

9. Which gun should I get? (19:10)

10. Mike, can you do a review of such and such a gun? (20:05)

I thought I would post this video of my recent Victoria Cup Men's Physique Fitness Contest for my Airgun fans that are also interested in what I am doing over on my fitness related YouTube Channel and Website GetFitOver40.com.

Don't worry - More Airgun videos coming next week when I get back from my trip.

This Article and Video expresses my views and opinions on this matter and should not be taken as legal advice.

Main points covered:

• Uncontrolled Firearms do not require a Firearms License within Canada to own and operate.

• What is an Uncontrolled Airgun and Airsoft Gun?

• What is an Uncontrolled Blank Gun / Starter Pistols?

• What about Fully Automatic Airguns and Airsoft Guns?

• What about Replica Guns?

NOTE: Controlled Firearms require a POL (Possession Only License) , PAL (Possession Acquisition License) or R-PAL (Restricted Possession Acquisition License) within Canada to own and operate. 

MEMORANDUM D19-13-2

Firearm – a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet, or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person, and includes any frame or receiver of such a barreled weapon and anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm.

“Uncontrolled”firearms are those devices that, although falling within the definition of a firearm in the Criminal Code, are exempt from specific legal requirements of the Firearms Act and its regulations, as well as from other legislative provisions. “Uncontrolled” firearms should not be subdivided into any of the non-restricted, restricted, or prohibited classes. The following types of firearms are deemed “uncontrolled”:

Flare, blank, rivet and industrial guns: Any device that is designed exclusively for signaling, for notifying of distress, or for firing blank cartridges or for firing stud cartridges, explosive-driven rivets or other industrial projectiles, provided that the importer intends to use it only for the purpose for which it is designed.

NOTE: (Toy guns and starter pistols do not generally qualify as firearms. However, some toy or model guns and starter pistols may be designed with very realistic mechanisms or appearances (e.g., color, size, scale, translucency) and resembling a real make and model of a firearm. In such cases, they may be considered replica firearms even if they are made of plastic, die cast zinc, or other material.)

Low muzzle velocity/energy guns: Any barreled weapon that is not designed or adapted to discharge projectiles at a muzzle velocity exceeding 152.4 meters per second (500 feet per second) and at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 Joules, or to discharge projectiles that are designed or adapted to attain a velocity exceeding 152.4 meters per second (500 feet per second) and an energy exceeding 5.7 Joules. Both thresholds of 152.4 mps and 5.7 Joules must be exceeded for the firearm to be considered “controlled”. This requirement exempts firearms that fire below the threshold velocity with a standard projectile, but exceed the threshold velocity when fired with a high-velocity projectile. 

Airsoft guns and certain types of paintball guns or markers may qualify as a replica firearm, if the muzzle velocity of the projectile does not cause serious bodily harm and their external features are clearly designed to resemble a specific and readily identifiable make and model of a firearm. To be considered a firearm, within the meaning of the Criminal Code, an airsoft gun must have a muzzle velocity in excess of 111.6 meters per second (366 feet per second).

NOTE: This memorandum used to state when using a .20 gram BB but does not specify this BB weight anymore?

NOTE: The term air gun is a colloquial term referring to BB or pellet guns. Such guns operate either as spring- powered, gas-powered, or electrically powered. If the muzzle velocity of the air gun is less than 152.4 mps (500 fps)/5.7 joules but still able to cause serious bodily injury to a person, it may be considered an “uncontrolled” firearm. Airsoft guns and certain types of paintball guns may qualify as a replica firearm (see paragraph 49 of this memorandum).

Replica firearms:

“Replica firearm” is defined as any device that is designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, a firearm, and that itself is not a firearm, but does not include any such device that is designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, an antique firearm.

For a device to be a replica firearm it must meet all three requirements:

• (a) it cannot be a firearm, meaning it does not discharge a projectile with sufficient energy to cause serious bodily injury or death to a person. If the device is a firearm, then it cannot be a replica firearm (and vice versa);

• (b) it must resemble exactly, or with near precision, a real existing firearm of an identifiable make and model. With respect to visual examination, note that the maximum observing distance is one at which the equivalent make and model of the firearm can be identified. This distance will vary from one firearm make to the next. For example: A Luger pistol has a very distinctive silhouette as compared to other makes and is therefore more readily identified from further away. The examination of the object is something more than casual, but less than detailed. The device does not need to be so close that markings are identifiable; and

• (c) it cannot be designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, an antique firearm. 

RCMP Website "Air Guns"

1. Air guns that are "Controlled" Firearms for purposes of both the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code

These are air guns with both a high muzzle velocity (greater than 152.4 meters or 500 feet per second) and a high muzzle energy (greater than 5.7 joules or 4.2 foot-pounds). The "muzzle velocity" is the speed of a projectile at the instant it leaves the muzzle of a gun, normally expressed in meters per second or feet per second. The "muzzle energy" is the energy of a projectile at the instant it leaves the muzzle of a gun, expressed in joules or foot-pounds. Air guns need to meet both standards to be classified as "Controlled" firearms for purposes of the Firearms Act.

These high-powered air guns are subject to the same license and registration requirements as a conventional "Controlled" firearm. Owners and users are also required to store, transport, display and handle them safely in accordance with the regulations supporting the Firearms Act.

Usually, the manufacturer's specifications are used to determine what muzzle velocity and muzzle energy an air gun was designed to have. This information may be available in the user's manual or on the manufacturer's website. If the information is not available, individuals can call the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) at 1-800-731-4000 and ask to speak to a firearm technician to find out if the air gun is considered to be a firearm for purposes of the Firearms Act.

High-powered air rifles are generally classified as non-restricted firearms. However, the classification depends on the exact design of the air gun. Air rifles manufactured to resemble an assault rifle could be non-restricted, restricted or prohibited depending on the exact model imitated. High-powered air rifles would also be prohibited firearms if fully automatic or if they have a sawed-off barrel. They could also be restricted firearms if they have a folding stock that reduces the overall length to less than 660mm. 

Additional thought on this subject: Even though Uncontrolled Firearms are not governed by the same laws that apply to Controlled Firearms within the Firearms act and do not need to be handled or stored similar in the same way you are required to handle, transport and store a Controlled Firearm, we need to treat our Uncontrolled Airguns, Airsoft Guns and Blank guns with care and go over and above what is expected when had handle, transport and store them.

I get asked about what cameras I use fairly often so a while back I made a video showing some of the cameras I used at that time. Since that video was made I have been using a newer pair of "HD Camera Glasses" called Pivothead Recons' which I really like and are very good quality and are perfect for that first person video camera angle.

In this video review, I show you around my pair of Pivothead Recon 1080p HD Camera Glasses and include some footage taken with them. I talk a bit about the specifications but have included the below specs right off of Pivothead's website to make sure it all gets covered:

OPTICS

4 ELEMENT GLASS LENS

Largan Glass Camera Lens

FOCUS

Recon'sContinuosFocus | Auto Focus: 4”- | Fixed focus: 2.8’ – | Macro 4”- 28”

FIELD OF VIEW

75 Degrees

IMAGE SENSOR

8MP Sony CMOS

RAM

2GB SDRAM

VIDEO

RESOLUTION

1080p@30fps | 720p@60fps | 720p@30fps

VIDEO FORMAT

Mp4 H.264

EXPOSURE

Auto | Bright | Dim

VIDEO OPTIONAL SETTING

Black & White | Face Tracking | Time/Date Stamp

AUDIO FORMAT

AAC MONO

44.1 kHz

PHOTO

IMAGE SIZE OPTIONS

8MP | 5MP | 3MP

BURST OPTIONS

16 Shot Stills | 10 Shot Stills | 5 Shot Stills | 3 Shot Stills

TIME LAPSE OPTION

1 Shot/1s | 1 Shot/30s | 4 Shots/8s

4 Shots/30s | 10 Shots/30s | 5 Shots/60s

FOCUS

Auto | Macro

EXPOSURE

Auto | Bright | Dim

ISO

Auto | 200 | 800 | 1600

PHOTO OPTIONAL SETTING

Black & White | Face Tracking | Time/Date Stamp

STORAGE

INTERNAL MEMORY

8GB

INTERFACE

USB CABLE

USB 2.0 Cable for Charging and Data Transfer

POWER

RECHARGEABLE

Rechargeable 3.7VLi-Polymer/440mAh

DC POWER

USB power via Micro USB, 5V DC 500mA

OPERATING SYSTEM

SYSTEM

Mac | PC | Android

PRE SET MODES

Active | Action Sport | Power Save

Spectator | Hands On (Macro) | Social | Black & White

CERTIFICATION

FCC | FDA | CE

Make sure to watch my Vimeo Video Review of the Pivothead Recon HD Video Glasses:

So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.

Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!

2013 BB Pistols

2013 Pellet Pistols

2013 Airsoft Pistols

2013 Blank Pistols

2013 Rifles

I thought I would try some Sport Smoke Tactical Airsoft - Paintball Smoke Grenades (TSG) and show you how they work out in an open area and also when in an enclosed area (indoors). These Tactical Smoke Grenades put out a lot of smoke but will require either a non windy day or an area where the smoke can accumulate to give you good coverage. Either way they do a greta job of causing a distraction that will allow you to get into a better position.

Here is some info on the Sport Tactical Smoke Grenades for Airsoft and Paintball:

The Sport Smoke Tactical Smoke Grenade (TSG) is designed to meet the extreme needs of today's paintball and Airsoft enthusiasts. These high quality smoke grenades are very affordable, producing a thick white plume of smoke to cover your movement and provide a major strategic advantage.

• Pull ring igniter.
• Thick white smoke.
• Good hang time.
• Easy to handle and carry.
• Biodegradable.
• Cool burning, Non-Pyrotechnic Smoke.
• Made in the USA.
• Smoke Output: 10,000 cubic feet
• Duration: 75 sec
• Dimensions: 2.75"×1.5"
• Weight (lb.): .2

Right now we sell these bad boys in our Canada Replica Airguns Store!
 

Buy the Tactical Smoke Grenade in the Canada Store

I wanted to cover some basic Airgun, Airsoft Gun, Blank Gun and Paintball Gun information on what do they all shoot, what makes them shoot and some other miscellaneous info thrown in along the way...

Your should also watch the video attached at the bottom of this post as it goes into a fair amount of detail.

Let's begin with the types of ammo used:

Airgun Ammo

• Airgun ammo for the most part is broken down into BBs and Pellets, the most standard size BB and Pellet is the 4.5mm or .177 caliber Steel BB and Lead Pellet. You can also get Pellets in other calibers and even other materials other than lead such as steel or aluminum, some can have plastic skirting around a metal interior.

• Pellets also come in a variety of caliber's like .177, .20. 22. 25 and even larger but then I would start considering them to be bullets as they will take on the shape of a bullet when they get into the larger sizes.

• Airgun Ammo is not be fired at people, it is primarily used for target and hunting small game.

• Airguns can use Spring Pistons, CO2, Compressed Air and Multi-pump propulsion systems.

Airsoft Gun Ammo

• Airsoft Guns for the most part shoot round 6mm (.22 caliber) plastic BBs which come in a variety of weights ranging from .12 grams up to .48 grams. There are larger Airsoft BBs such as 8mm and even larger.

• There are biodegradable and even tracer florescent Airsoft BBs available.

• Airsoft Ammo is traditionally used for Airsoft battles and can be fired at people using protective gear. Airsoft Ammo can also be used for target shooting.

• Airsoft Guns can use Spring Pistons, Spring Piston - AEG (Electric Motor) CO2, Gas (Green, Red, Propane) and Compressed Air propulsion systems.

Paintball Gun Ammo

• Paintball Guns or "Markers" have been historically used for the sport of Paintball but their whereabouts came from the need of ranchers and forestry workers to mark trees. Hence the name "Marker"

• Paintball ammo comes in a variety of sizes ranging with the most common being .43 and .68 caliber. They are generally made from a gelatin outer coating containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye, they are usually biodegradable.

• Paintball Guns can also shoot a variety of Paintball Ammo that can be made out of Rubber, Plastic, Glass and they can also contain Powders and even Pepper for use in non lethal defense.

• Paintball Guns can generally use either CO2 or Compressed Air as their propellant.

Blank Gun Ammo

• Blank Guns are just like Real Guns but without the dangerous bullet at the end of the brass shell. Other than that they work exactly the same as a Real Gun!

• Blank Guns are used when a bullet is not required or even wanted. For instance... Gun safety, gun training, training animals to be around guns and/or loud noises, Props for Movies - Stage -  Film - TV, Collectors that do not want the red tape associated with owning a Real Gun or when owning a Real Gun is prohibited.

• Blank Guns can shoot a variety of sized ammo, most common are .22 caliber crimped, .380 crimped, 8mm P.A.K. and 9mm P.A.K.

• Blank Guns use gun powder as their means of operation.

Here are the most common forms of propulsion used in the guns we discussed earlier:

CO2

• CO2 is the most common propellant in Airguns (BB and Pellet), it is also used in Airsoft Guns and Paintball Guns.

• CO2 is a compressed gas which expands when released, it requires a warm environment to fully expand and tends to cool it's surroundings quickly when shot fast or in full automatic which can slow the velocity of the projectile and even freeze up the gun being used.

• The most common reusable CO2 cartridges are 12 and 88 gram but you can get larger CO2 tanks in a variety of sizes that can be refilled with CO2.

Gas

• Gas is used primarily in Airsoft Guns, I have not personally seen an Airgun that is made to use Gas other than CO2.

• Gas is similar to CO2 in that it is a compressed gas that expands when releases, it also cools down the gun it is being used in and requires a warm environment.

• Gas comes in a variety of names, Green Gas, Red Gas and Propane Gas. Green Gas contains Propane as it's base but has additives in it like silicone for lubrication .

• Red Gas is know to be a bit more powerful than Green Gas as it has Chlorodifluoromethane or HCFC-22, R22 or Freon 22 used in refrigeration which turns to a liquid under a slightly higher pressure giving you slightly higher fps.

• Many people use propane gas with an adapter that allows the mixture of silicone as propane is cheaper to buy.

Compressed Air (HPA)

• Compressed Air (HPA - High Pressure Air) is most commonly used in Airguns and Paintball Guns but some people use it for their Gas based Airsoft guns.

• The compressed air comes from high PSI tanks that can be purchased in a variety of sizes and contains compressed air at pressures up to 5000psi.

• These tanks are reusable and usually need to be refilled at a paintball or scuba shop, some people buy their own compressors or large scuba tanks for refilling purposes.

• Some Compressed Air (HPA) guns have their own built in tanks that can be filled with a compressor or even a manual pump.

• Compressed air does not cool down the gun it is being used in and is a great option for high output or fully automatic guns.

Multi-Pump Pneumatic

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic systems are most commonly used in Pellet and/or BB guns.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns use the same principle as HPA - High Pressure Air guns in that they require pressurized air as the propellant. The main difference with Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns, is that you do all the work by pumping the gun between shots. Generally speaking you pump the gun 3-10 times, take a shot and repeat this process.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns are not effected by air temperature and are great for target and small pest control.

Spring Piston

• Spring pistons are generally found in Pellet Rifles and Pistols but some Airsoft Guns also use a Spring Piston System and generally speaking Spring Piston Guns are single shot only or in other words, the Spring needs to be drawn back before each shot. Spring Piston Guns can have magazines that allow for quicker repeat shots.

• Spring Piston Guns come in many cocking configurations, Brake Barrel and Side lever to name a couple.

• The Spring can be a Mechanical Spring or a Gas Spring.

• Spring Piston Guns are not effected by temperature and are often used for small game hunting and target shooting.

Automatic Electric Guns (AEG)

• Automatic Electric Guns  are generally found in Airsoft Rifles but there are some Airsoft Pistols (AEP) that use this same system.

• Automatic Electric Guns use a similar system to a Spring Piston gun but have an electric motor that does all the work of drawing back the spring. You can even have fully automatic AEG guns.

• The power for the electric motor comes from removable batteries, so it is a combination a battery supplying the motor with the power to draw back the spring that creates a pillow of air that shoots the BB.

• AEG Airsoft Guns are great for situations when you require high capacity magazines with full auto capability. 

Gun Powder

• Gun powder is used in Blank Guns, in the same manor that it is used in a Real Gun, the charge from the Gun Powder supplies the force required to operate the blowback in most semi auto Blank Pistols, it also creates the sound of a live round along with the muzzle flash which makes Blank Guns great for training and as Props for Movies and Film.

• Because the kinetic energy from a blank gun is the same as a real gun, blank guns can be very dangerous when used in close proximity to an object, see my "Are Blank Guns Dangerous Video"!

Some other Gun Relevant Terminology:

Blowback

• Blowback operation is when some of the force of the propellant is used to move the slide backwards, which in most cases cocks the hammer for single action and can also pickup and chamber a round into the barrel.

• The slide spring supplies the energy for the return to the forward position of the slide.

• Blowback Guns do rob some power from the bullet force and in the case of CO2 or Gas Guns the also reduce the amount of shots per CO2 or Gas fill.

Revolver, Semi Automatic

• Revolver: Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action)

• Semi Automatic:  semi-automatic pistols use the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. Typically recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately.

Single Shot, Repeater, Semi Automatic & Fully Automatic

• Single Shot: A Single Shot Gun needs to be reloaded each time it is shot.

• Repeater: Repeating action Guns are single barreled guns containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically re-cocks the firing action. The term repeating rifle is most often applied to weapons in which the next cartridge is loaded by a manual action, as opposed to semi-automatic rifles, in which the force of one shot is used to load the next.

• Semi Automatic: A semi-automatic, or self-loading, firearm is a weapon that performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing.

• Fully Automatic: A Gun that uses either its recoil or a portion of the gas propelling the projectile to remove the spent cartridge (in the case of a gun-shell), fire again repeatedly, as long as the trigger is held down or until the magazine is exhausted. Automatic Guns are distinguished from semi-automatic Guns in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled.

Single, Double Action, SA/DA

• Check out my post explaining Single and Double action!

• Single-Action (SA): trigger performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled.

• Double-Action (DA): The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer or striker

• SA-DA:  A SA/DA firearm combines the features of both mechanisms. You can pull the trigger in Double Action when the hammer is down which cocks and releases the trigger or you can cock the hammer with your thumb and then release the trigger using Single Action to fire the weapon. 

Lever Action, Pump Action, Bolt Action

• Lever Action: In a classic lever-action firearm, rounds are individually loaded into a tubular magazine parallel to and below the barrel. A short bolt is held in place with an over center toggle action. Once closed, the over center action prevents opening solely by the force on the bolt when the weapon is fired. This toggle action is operated by a hand grip that forms part of the trigger guard. When operated, a spring in the tubular magazine pushes a fresh round into position. Returning the operating lever to the home position chambers the round and closes the breach.

• Pump Action: With a pump-action firearm, the action is operated by a movable fore-end that goes backwards and forwards to eject, extract, and chamber a round of ammunition. Pump-actions are usually associated with shotguns.

• Bolt Action: The bolt opens and closes the breech end of the barrel and contains the firing pin. The bolt is held in place with a lever that fits into a notch. Moving this lever out of the notch will release the restraint on the bolt, allowing it to be drawn back. An extractor removes the spent cartridge, which is then ejected through the lever slot. A spring at the bottom of the magazine pushes up the reserve rounds, positioning the topmost between the bolt and the chamber at the base of the barrel. Pushing the bolt lever forward chambers this round and pushing the lever into the notch locks the bolt and enables the trigger mechanism.

Magazine vs Clip

• Magazine: A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines can be removable (detachable) or integral to the firearm. The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action of the firearm. The detachable magazine is often referred to as a clip, although this is technically inaccurate.

• Clip: A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time. The term "clip" is also frequently used to refer to a detachable magazine, though such usage is incorrect.

Sorry no guns in this adventure but in theory I could have brought a rifle as we where in areas where hunting and shooting are allowed. I was having too much fun on my ATV - Quad to think about shooting this time around ;)

I thought some or even many of you may enjoy this type of outdoors video, after all ATV's are just a lot of fun!

I picked up a pre-owned 2007 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO EFI a little while ago (for the farm of course) and this is my first real adventure with it.

The other ATV in this video is my friends 2006 Honda Rubicon 500, most of the time he was riding out in front as he is more experienced than I was.

This was my first ever real experience on an ATV (I have done some off road motorbike riding). You may want to skip ahead in the video to around the 25 minute mark where we get into some really narly stuff. Even though the head mounted camera does not show it, we where on some really steep grades with lots of ruts, mud, rocks and roots to navigate. We even end up riding through a bit of a swamp and river. Luckily we made it back up the hill as there was no other way out.

I hope you enjoy watching this video, I had fun making it for sure! Let me know if you want more of these types of videos down the road…

It would not be the end of another year without another Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection video for you. This year I'm not showing all my guns, I started to take them out and quickly realized there where just way too many and this years video would have been several hours long and would have taken most of the week for me to shoot and edit...

So this year I have hand picked some of my top favorites and most notable replica Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Guns. They may not all be the best made or hardest shooters or even all that accurate but each one has some significants to me.

So if you have about 30 minutes to kill, then join me in this years roundup of my most favorite Collection of guns for 2012!

Watch my Vimeo Video Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2012

This is a much different review than I generally do but I have been using POV (Point Of View) or Action Cameras for some time now that I sometimes mount on my guns or myself for that first person style video angle. In the past I have been using an Innovations Drift HD170 Action Camera and an Oregon Scientific ATC9K HD Action Camera. I still have the Drift HD170 but the ATC9K went back to Costco because some of the plastic was starting to crack on it.

Let's turn the focus back to the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam, so why the "upgrade"? Well for one I had some extra play money because Costco gave me back all the money I spent when I returned the ATC9K. Of course there are a lot of other great cameras to choose from out there and I was considering one of the Hero based systems but the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam kind of caught my eye for a number of reasons.

• Built in WiFi and with downloadable App for iOS and Android based Smartphones.
• Comes with waterproof case good down to 60M (about 200 feet).
• Has SteadyShot image stabilization that is very effective.
• Carl Zeiss Lens with 170-degree or 120-degree selectable viewing angles.
• Full 1080P 30fps resolution along with 720P 120 fps Super Slow-mo.
• Excellent video and audio quality.

One of the most intriguing features for me was the built in WiFi as it allows me to see what the camera sees by streaming the video to my iPhone in real time. Even with a built in video view finder on a camera, you still can not see the screen when the camera is mounted on your head, while a remote screen using WiFi to stream the video to another device like my iPhone lets me see exactly where the camera is pointed and also start and stop recording and even change some of the settings remotely.

After doing some online research and watching video samples of the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam in comparison with some other very good quality Action Cameras, it was clear to me that the sony had excellent video and audio recording capabilities and seemed to even beat the competition in low light situations.

Of course there where some Cons I had to consider but for me they where not a big deal:

• When in the water proof case you can only access the start and stop button.
• No audio in any of the 720p high frame rate modes (60-120 fps).
• It's a new product from Sony so there may be some bugs to work out and features that could be improved or added.
• A bit limited in what camera mounts come in the box.

Your best bet to really see what the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam can do is to watch my video review for it. I show you around the Sony HDR-AS15 and also sync it to my iPhone using the PlayMemories Mobile Smart Phone App so you can see how to pair it, start and stop recording all while viewing the streaming video on the iPhone's screen. I also show you how you can use the WiFi feature to copy pre-recorded video from the HDR-AS15 to a Smartphone using the PlayMemories Mobile Smart Phone App.

I end off my review by showing you some video samples I made in various shooting modes and situations playing around with my new Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam.

Checkout my Video Review of the Sony HDR-AS15 POV Action Cam: